Monday, June 27, 2011

NEW YORK - A man was arrested after he donned an army uniform and posed as a soldier so that he would get bumped up to first class on a flight from the Dominican Republic to New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport, the New York Post reported Monday.

Rock Diaz, 22, of Long Island, He was busted when a sharp-eyed customs official at JFK asked him his rank - and he gave an answer that did not match the insignia on the uniform he was wearing. Asked his rank, he said "E-5," referring to a pay grade. But Diaz was wearing the insignia of a staff sergeant, the source said, which is "E-6," a higher pay grade. He also couldn't say where he was stationed, sources said.

But Diaz - in camouflage fatigues and sporting a military-style buzz cut - allegedly insisted that he was the real thing when questioned after getting off an American Airlines flight.

Although he was wearing a standard-issue army combat uniform and cap, he could not produce a military ID.

Diaz - who sources said never served in the military - also had a black POW patch on his sleeve, which an actual soldier would never wear in that spot, the sources said. His dog tags were comically engraved with the words, "USA Marines Corp."

'USA Marine Corps' - what a doofus.

I wonder if he was served the salami last night on Riker's?

The Spanish-speaking Diaz said that he did nothing wrong and blamed any confusion on a language barrier.

Oh yeah - like THAT's original. Somehow it doesn't fly with a guy wearing staff sergeant rank. A private in Basic, right out of the islands - MAYBE. A mid-grade NCO? "No way, Jose."

"If you knew anything about the military and you looked at him, you could tell he wasn't really a soldier," a cop said. Diaz was charged with second-degree impersonation.

This is great - used to be all kinds of swine could get away with dishonoring the uniform and veterans. Nowadays thanks to the Internet, we know the rules and when we see through the B.S. we know what to do about it. Kudos to that sharp-eyed, fast-thinking Customs officer, whoever you are. If I ever run into you in a bar, I'll buy you a beer.